Outlook: Lofty expectations are nothing new at Miami, which is why it should come as no surprise that the coach Al Golden’s team was chosen as the preseason Coastal Division favorite for the second straight year. To this point, though, the Hurricanes have yet to master the art of living up to those high expectations.

Williams

Injuries and a three-game midseason losing streak did them in a year ago. This season the major obstacle to overcome figures to be an uncertain QB situation that shows no sign of being settled anytime soon.

Senior Ryan Williams was all set to be the starter until he tore an ACL during spring practice. It’s hoped that he’ll be able to return at some point this season, but there are no guarantees. Complicating matters is a one-game suspension being served by the man next in line, redshirt freshman Kevin Olsen. That leaves either fifth-year graduate student Jake Heaps – who has played at both BYU and Kansas – or true freshman Brad Kaaya as the starter for the Hurricanes’ Labor Day opener against Louisville.

Outside of the QB, Miami has plenty of proven offensive firepower with the return of a healthy RB Duke Johnson, big play WR/KR Stacy Coley and TE Clive Walford, and three starters on the offensive line. Defensively, All-ACC LB Denzel Perryman and veteran DE Anthony Chickillo head a veteran unit that returns six starters, but ranked next-to-last in the ACC in 2013 allowing 426.4 yards per game and nearly 42 percent of third down conversions.

Quotable quote: “One of the things that we need to learn to get back to where we want to be, is how to handle the spotlight and the expectations. It’s part of who we are and it’s part of where we want to go.” Miami coach Al Golden.

Golden

Projection: First and foremost, Miami has to avoid the bane of every coach’s existence – the quarterback controversy. That won’t be easy considering the current state of flux that exists at that important position. The Hurricanes also need RB Johnson to stay healthy and productive for the entire season, something he wasn’t able to do in 2013, and for its defense to figure out a way to get off the field on third down better than it did a year ago.

If all those things happen, the Hurricanes certainly have the talent to finally break through, live up to its annual preseason hype and win what appears to be a wide-open Coastal Division. That, however, is a lot of ifs.